I use the Pro Ears units, in the ProSlim LE version.
I have tried the others and these are the best. We have used them in several tactical Operations locally, and they allow us to hear each other while doing the requisite maneuvering.
When gunfire errupts, we are protected, but can still converse normally, or even in whispers. One officer found an armed suspect by turning up the volume, and hearing the guy breathing behind a closet door. Pretty good? You betcha!

Durable?
Yes.
My set recently survived an attack by an angry puppy, bent on their distruction.
The only major loss was the foam liners, and they were replaced gratis by the Manufacturer. They still work fine.

I'll second Mad Dog's opinion. I just got my Pro Ears ProSlim LE on Friday. Took them to an IDPA shoot on Saturday morning and I was amazed at the what I could hear.

Gunfire didn't have the same muffled sound that I normally get with regular muffs. It had sort of an echo, as if it were a long ways off. Voices were clear and distinct.

We were shooting on the back side of a tactical range that held an urban carbine class (snuggled up next to a high berm, so we were pretty safe). Every now and then, we would hear a ricochet buzz overhead. When facing perpendicular to the path of the ricochet, I could hear the ricochet as it came over the berm and then trail off into the distance, all in perfect stereo sound.

Get the Pro Ears. You will not be dissapointed.

[This message has been edited by Greg Melcer (edited March 29, 1999).]

I have never used electronic muffs and have always wondered how effective they are. This is as good a thread as any to ask my question. I usually use both plugs and muffs when at an indoors range. This is usually enough until someone shoots an AR-15 or the likes right next to me. Does anyone here have an opinion as to whether the elec muffs will work well in this situation or how they would compare to the plug/muff combo? I think the ability to hear people talking would be a real plus, but, I enjoy listening to music almost as much as shooting, so I have been trying to save my ears. I already have enough tinnitis from listening to The Who too much in my earlier days.

Good point. I forgot to try the Pro Ears with plugs, but others have told me that it works pretty well. When I wore them on Saturday, the volume was turned up less than half way. Voices sounded normal, but gunfire was muted with a slight echo to it. We were outdoors and I was but a few feet away when 9mm/.38 Special/.357 mag/.38 Super/.45 ACP were fired. At no time was I bothered by muzzle blast. If you turn the muffs off, they sound just like regular muffs.

I'll try wearing plugs and cranking up the volume on the muffs when I get home tonight. I'll shoot the airguns indoors to see what it sounds like with that setup.

As for the AR15 indoors...can't help you there. I've been next to it before and the sound didn't really bother me. It was the shockwave making my eyeballs bounce that I found to be disconcerting. Damn muzzle brake!

Mal H, I have the Pro Ears ProSlim LE as well. Bought 'em at a gun show for a decent price (although they are still quite an 'investment'), based upon a lot of the discussion I saw on TFL. Figured it was worth it to get the right 'tool' for the job.

You can definitely use them with plugs. I was at an indoor range the other day, wearing them (without plugs) while firing .357 Mag. No problem. All of a sudden I damn near jump out of my skin when the blast and the pressure wave from the next lane hit me! Asked the guy what size artillery he was using, and it was a .44 Mag. So, I retired to the foyer, doffed the Pro Ears, inserted plugs, put the Pro Ears back on, and went back to my lane. Problem solved.

You lose a little of the low volume sound, but not much. And, since you can independently turn the volume up on the right and left ears, that feature helps you recover some of the sounds you lost with the plugs.

I plan to get my wife a pair too so we can enjoy the range together, talk normally, etc. (I wonder if they will help my wife talk normally ?? )

[This message has been edited by Jeff Thomas (edited April 15, 1999).]

I was out in the woods shooting last week and I tried out the plugs and Pro Ears combo. Gunfire was reduced to a muted echo, yet I could still plainly hear the birds singing nearby. Very nice.

I'm taking a handgun class this weekend, and I think that this will be the ideal setup. I'll have shooters on either side of me, so I'll need the extra protection, if nothing else so that I don't get flinchy after a few hours of gunfire. With the muffs turned all the way up, I should still be able to hear the instructors without any problems.

I can only find the Pro Ears (Ridge Line) muffs in the Natchez catalog, but they don't have the Pro-Slim model. They have the Pro-Mag LE which they say has even more insulation that the Pro-Slim. Does anyone know of any other retailer that carries them? I'd like to compare prices. (I've checked Midway and Graf.)

If anyone is so inclined, they can get the Pro-Slim model in green as well as the usual white and black. It doesn't seem to appear in any catalogs, but that color does exist. Must be new for that model.

Oh yeah...www.shootersconnection.com.
You'll have to call for a price, but I remember that their price was pretty good. I ended up getting mine at a gunshow for $190. That included tax and shipping (they were sold out by the time I got there).

[This message has been edited by Greg Melcer (edited April 15, 1999).]

Thanks for the info, guys. I did check out Pro Ears web site, thanks fal308. They have info on which model to buy based on the type of shooting you do. Since I shoot a 44-Big quite often, I decided to go with the Pro-Mag LE. They also recommend "double plugging", seems a lot of shooters do this. Natchez had the Pro-Mag $20 less than the Pro Ears site ($179 vs $199), so I ordered one from them.

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